Companies can decarbonize key business operations—including manufacturing, procurement, and the supply chain—with readily available technologies at low cost. BCG’s sustainable operations consulting team can show you how.
Sustainable operations doesn’t have to be a company’s end goal. Rather, it can be part of a holistic effort to drive business growth. We work with clients to improve operational sustainability—reducing emissions across the product life cycle, increasing sustainability in procurement and supply chain, enhancing operational efficiency, and transitioning to the circular economy—while creating value for the company.
Many companies are setting emissions goals or net zero targets and increasing operational sustainability to achieve them. Getting on the path to achieve emissions targets enables organizations to stay ahead of new regulations, maintain access to investors’ capital, and retain and attract top talent. Following that path can also bring financial benefits—savings from operational efficiency, revenue growth from market expansion, and new revenue streams—all of which help to offset the costs of working with suppliers to address Scope 3 emissions.
BCG works with companies to achieve emissions and net zero targets so they can stay ahead of a changing regulatory landscape, sure up access to key talent and materials, and drive lasting competitive advantage.
Here are just some of the ways we help clients unlock new value from sustainable operations.
Alberto Milvio, former CFO of Autostrade per l’Italia Group, and Concetta Testa, head of sustainability, share how the company is working to realize sustainable infrastructure.
North America's largest tire distributor aimed to stop the wasteful disposal of used tires—and became a transformative model of circularity. Hear from ATD leaders about their partnership with BCG.
A global pharmaceutical company wanted to reduce its carbon footprint across its value chain. We worked with the company to develop a net zero roadmap to address its Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions. As a result, our client is on track to reduce emissions across its value chain by more than 90% by 2040.
A global food and beverage company wanted to define an integrated climate and business strategy that delivered on its net zero goals and increased supply chain resilience. We helped the client identify breakthrough initiatives, quantify its carbon-reduction impact, develop operational sustainability roadmaps, and establish effective governance.
A steel company wanted to reduce its emissions within the decade. We helped the company define a net zero roadmap, and it has already started the journey with clear initiatives, investments, and changes that put it on the path toward operational sustainability and a 30% reduction of emissions by 2030.
We have exclusive partnerships with global leaders in sustainability—including COP27, the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures, the World Economic Forum on the Net Zero Challenge, the World Wildlife Fund, and the Science Based Targets initiative—offering unparalleled access to cutting-edge sustainability perspectives.
BCG also leverages a suite of world-class proprietary tools to ensure that clients have the data they need to achieve their decarbonization, net zero, and sustainable operations goals.
Part of our partner ecosystem, CO2 AI enables organizations to measure, simulate, reduce, and track their environmental footprint at scale—and to collaborate across the supply chain.
A circularity strategy solution, Circelligence by BCG helps companies master sustainable operations by standing up circular business models and driving more value from fewer raw material inputs.
A traceability platform, OpenSC is designed to verify claims about sustainable supply chains and responsible production automatically, continuously, and with the backing of granular and immutable data.
BCG’s best-in-class sustainability learning platform upskills suppliers and procurement teams so they can accelerate Scope 3 decarbonization and their journey to net zero.
By adhering to a simple six-step process, business can systematically manage ESG risks in global supply chains. Doing so will also embed ESG into the heart of operating models.
Supply chains generate 11.4 times more emissions than in-house operations, but only 39% of businesses engage suppliers on climate topics. Here’s how to engage them.
Even companies with modest direct-emissions footprints can make a global impact on decarbonization by implementing nine initiatives in their supply chains.
To get beyond the starting line, CEOs need to approach the challenges of sustainability from a strategic and value-creation perspective in terms of both the questions they ask and the answers they seek.
BCG’s delegation of leaders will be at COP28, the UN Climate Change Conference, where they will work alongside public, private, and social sector leaders to accelerate climate action and advance adaptation and resilience. Learn more about our in-person and virtual programming.
BCG’s sustainable operations consulting team has deep expertise in sustainable manufacturing, sustainable procurement strategy, ESG in procurement, ESG in supply chains, and more. Here are some of our experts in sustainable operations.
